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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. L. v. BENET & H. A. MERCIE.

GUN MOUNTING.

No. 601,543. Patented Mar. 29, 1898.

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(No Model.)

Sheets-Sheet 3. L; v. BENET & H. A. MEROIE GUN MOUNTING.

No. 601,548. Patented Mar.29,1898.

I 'UNmn STATES ATEN r LAURENCE V. BENET AND HENRI A. MERCIE, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGN- ORS TO THE HOTCHKISS ORDNANCE COMPANY, LIMITED, OF LONDON,

ENGLAND.

GUN- MOUNTING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601 ,543, dated March 29, 1898. Application filed 'fieptember '7, 1897. Serial No. 650,834. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LAURENCE V. BENET, a citizen of the United fitates, and HENRI A. MEROII'J, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at Paris, in the Republic of France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gun-Mountings, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a portable mounting for automatic or other machine-guns which, besides folding into compact compass for transportation, shall also be capable, first, of enabling the gun to be fired either with the operator seated upon the mounting or lying prone beside it, and, second, of enabling the mounting to be used as a litter for transporting the gun by hand. Furthermore, this arrangement of mounting comprises a device for clamping the gun at any required angle of elevation and also a device for controlling the horizontal field of fire of the gun.

In the annexed drawings the improved gun-mounting is shown as applied to the wellknown Hotchkiss automatic machinegun, but it is clear that by obvious changes in dimensions and proportions of the various parts it may be adapted to other similar firearms.

Figure 1 shows the improved gun-mounting supporting a machine-gun as arranged for firing, with the operator seated upon the trail. Fig. 2 is a similar view in which the legs and the trail are extended, the operator being assumed to lie prone beside the mounting, the latter ready to be carried as a litter by two men. Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows the gun removed and the mounting folded for stowage or transportation. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and S are separate views of the socket. Figs. 9, 10, and 11 show in detail the upper end of the trail. Figs. 12 and 13 show in detail the upper end of each of the front legs. Fig. 14 is a side view of Fig. 2, showing the pivot. Figs. 15 and 16, on a larger scale, show the pivot as well as the device for controlling the horizontal field of fire of the gun at an angle of one hundred and eighty degrees, with reference to Figs. 14 and 2. Figs. 17 and 18 are details.

The trail is composed of two sections 1 1,

which are preferably made of drawn steel tubing and of which the one 1 is provided with the usual shoe 2, carrying the ordinary link or handle 3 for transporting, and with an adjustable support 4, carrying the saddle 5. The sections 1 1 are coupled together by two pieces 6 6 by means-of the pins 7 7, of which 7 is fixed and 7 is removable. By removing the pin 7 a one section of the trailcan be swung around the pin 7 and be laid against the other section) when folding for transport. (See Fig. 4.

On the section 1 is attached the device for clamping the gun at any required angle of elevation. The device is composed of a support 8, which can be slid so as to set it in any suitable position on the section 1 and through which passes a transverse axis 9, Fig. 3, in the head 10 of which is drilled a transverse hole for the reception of an adjustable rod 11. The screw-threaded end of the axis 9 carries a clamping-handle 12, which when screwed tight clamps the support Sin position upon the section 1 and at the same time fixes the rod 11 in the position into which it shall hai e been adjusted. The head of the rod 11 is provided with a horizontal arm 13, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3,) engaging an eyepiece 14, Fig. 1, fastenedto the lower portion of the gun.

At the upper end of the section 1 is attached a fork-shaped head 15, Figs. 1, 2, 4, 9, 10, and 11, which is pivoted to an axis 16, fitted in a lug 17 on the socket 18, which receives the pivot of the gun. (See Figs. 4, 5, 7, and 8.) The said head is provided with two tangs 19 19. In a lug 20 on the front of the socket 18 is fitted a horizontal axis 21, Figs. 17 and- 18, each end of which terminates in two cars 22 22 for receiving an axis 23. Upon both these axes 23 23 are fitted the tangs 24 24 of the two front legs 25 25, which are thus mounted on substantially universal joints formed by the horizontal axis 21 and the axes 23 23. The movement of the said legs around the axis 21 is limited by stops 26 26 on the socket 18, against which the said tangs 24 24 abut when the mounting assumes its lowermost position, (shown in Fig. 2,) and their movement around their respective axis 23 23 is limited by two v the said tangs abut when,

surfaces 27 27 on the socket 18, against which on the contrary, the mounting assumes the highermost posi tion. (Shown in Fig. 1.)

In the position shown in Fig. 1 the parts are securely looked as the tangs 24 24 of the front legs abut, on the'one hand, against the surfaces 27 27 of the socket 18 and engage, on the other hand, with the tangs 19 19 of the head 15 of the trail, the said tangs 24 24 being held in place by the hooked projections 28 28. Again,the front legs 25 are absolutely locked, insomuch as they can neither swing apart because the tangs 24 24 abut against the surfaces 27 27 nor move toward each other owing to a device for locking together the tangs 24 24 and the tangs 19 19, such device consisting of an inclined surface 29, Fig. 13, which when the parts are engaged, as in Fig. 1, comes face to face with a correspondinglyinclined surface 30, Fig. 9, on the under side of each tang 19. In otherwords, the end of each tang 24 terminates in a tooth 31, Fig. 13, which fits into a corresponding cavity 32,Figs. 10 and 11, on the under side of each tang 19. The face of each tang 24, which lies against the abutment-surface 27 on each side of the socket 18, is designated by 33, Fig. 13. It is obvious that this locking device is such that the front legs must first be set in position and the surfaces 33 of the tangs 24 must lie against the surfaces 27 of the socket 18 before the tangs 19 of the trail are turned down onto the tangs 24 of the front legs. When the parts are to be unlocked, the tangs 19 necessarily require to be raised somewhat before the front legs can be turned so as to cause them to come together. Likewise in the position shown in Fig. 2 the parts are also secured in position, the tangs 24 of the front legs lie in recesses 34, Figs. 6, 7, and 8, formed in the rests or abutments 26 26 of the socket 18, and the forked head 15 is stopped by an abutment 18 on the socket 18, Figs. 1, 2,4, 5,

and 8. In either one of these two extreme positions of the mounting (shown in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively) the axis of the pivot of the gun always remains vertical. In the position shown in Fig.2 the operator,lying prone beside the mounting, can fire the gun, thus permitting him to take advantage of the cover afforded by inequalities of the ground or by hasty entrenchments. In this same position the operator can point the gun at will and make it assume, for instance, the positions shown in full lines and in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Finally, the said lowermost position of the mounting is that which is suitable for transporting the gun, as on a litter.

In order to limit the horizontal field of fire, we have devised a controlling device, which is shown in Figs. 15 and 16 on a somewhat larger scale than that of the remaining figures. The device is composed of a pin 35, fitted in a support 36 on the socket 18 and provided with a horizontal knob 37, passing through a helicoidal slot 38, while its upper end terminates in a little projection 39. In the fork 40 ofthe pivot 41 is arranged a horizontal axis 42, having right and left threads, upon which are mounted a milled knob 43 and two nuts 44 44, which can be made to move toward or to recede from each other upon the axis 42 by rotating the milled knob 43, but which are prevented from rotating by a tongue 45, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 16,) working in a groove. the nuts 44 44 from each other, between which is placed the projection 39, determines the angle of rotation of the pivot in its socket l8, and consequently the extent of the horizontal field of fire. Such distance apart of the said nuts can be varied at will; but when the knob 37 is turned toward the right, Fig. 15, the projection 39 in moving downward is no longer placed between the nuts 44, and the gun is free to be turned or pivoted to any amount, without its being arrested in its motion, as is the case where the parts are in the position of Figs. 15 and 16.

We claim- 1. The combination, with the socket, of front legs, means for pivoting them jointly to the socket, means for pivoting them individually and a trail pivoted to the socket, means for locking the front legs and trail together, substantially as described and shown.

2. The combination, with a socket, of front (Not shown.) The distance of legs, means for pivoting them jointly to the socket, means for pivoting them individually, a trail made of folding sections pivoted to the socket and means for locking the front legs and trail together, substantially as described and shown.

3. In a gun-mounting, the herein-described means for locking the front legs and the trail together, consisting in a tooth 31 formed on the end of the tang 24 of each front leg and engaging a corresponding cavity 32 formed in each tang 19 of the fork-shaped head 15 of the trail, substantially as described and shown.

4. The combination, with a socket, of front legs, means for pivoting them jointly to the socket, means for pivoting them individually, stops 26, 26 for limiting the motion of the tangs 24, 24 of the front legs, a trail'pivoted to the socket and means for locking the front legs and trail together, substantially as de- .scribed and shown.

, 5. The combination, with a gun-mounting, of a device for clamping the gun at any required angle of elevation, consisting of an adj ustable rod 11 pivoted to the gun-mounting and connected at its upper end with the automatic machine or other gun, and of means for clamping the said rod to the gun-mounting, substantially as described and shown.

6. The combination with a gun-mounting, of a device for controlling the horizontal field of an automatic machine or other gun, consisting of a pin 35 fitted to move up or down in a support 36 on the socket 18 and havinga projection 39 at its upper end, a right and left threaded axis 42, fitted horizontally in the fork of the pivot 41, means for operating it and nuts 44, 44 moving toward or away from each other on the said axis 42, substantially as described and shown.

7. The combination with the socket,of front legs; means for pivoting the said legs to the socket to swing together in parallel planes, and means for pivoting them to swing at right angles to the said parallel planes; a trail pivoted to the socket; and means for locking the front legs and trail together, substantially as described.

8. In a gunmounting,the combination with the socket; of front legs; means for pivoting the said front legs jointly to the said socket, and means for pivoting them individually; a trail pivoted to the said socket, and means for locking the parts in their highest and lowest positions while allowing the axis of the pivot of the gun to remain vertical, and enabling the gun to be transported as on a litter when the said mounting is in its lowest position, substantially as described.

9. In a gun-mounting,the combination with a socket and an axis journaled therein; of front legs pivoted to the said axis; a trail pivoted to the said socket; means for limiting the movement of the said legs and trail; and means for locking the said legs and trail in their upper or lower position, substantially as described.

10. In a gun-mounting, the combination with a socket; a pin vertically adjustable in the said socket; of a fork pivoted in the said socket to support the gun; adjustable stops on the said fork on each side of the said pin to limit the movement of the said fork about its axis, substantially as described.

11. In a gun-mounting, the combination with a socket; of front legs pivoted to the said socket; a trail formed of folding sections also pivoted to the said socket; means for locking the said sections rigidly together; and means for locking the legs and trail together, substantially as described.

12. In a gun-mount, the combination with a socket; of front legs pivoted to the said socket; a trail also pivoted to the said socket; a block adj ustably mounted on the said trail; a rod connected at its upper end with the gun and adjustably connected to said block, and means for locking the several parts in position, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LAURENCE v. BENET. HENRI A. MERGIE.

Witnesses Sz. HERYNGFET, CHARLES KEEVER. 

